The caption conundrum

Giving a photo caption requires the same amount of talent and expertise as writing an effective headline

October 10, 2015 12:31 am | Updated March 25, 2016 02:06 pm IST

CHENNAI, 16/10/2014: A.S. Panneerselvan, The Hindu Readers' Editor. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

CHENNAI, 16/10/2014: A.S. Panneerselvan, The Hindu Readers' Editor. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

From a simple matter-of-fact statement to a sarcastic comment, from an anguished tone to a tenor that pours scorn and vitriol, from a sense of excitement at discovering a mistake to a tired refrain of pointing out a recurring error, we get a range of critiquing styles on a daily basis. In this plurality of complaining styles, one form that has an ability to stir and stay for a long time is the ironic prose, described by Canadian author Robertson Davies as ‘drye mock’.

Davies makes an eloquent distinction between irony, cynicism and sarcasm. For him, sarcasm is like vinegar, and cynicism is often the voice of disappointed idealism. But irony is a delicate casting of a cool and illuminating light on life, and thus an enlargement. “The ironist is not bitter, he does not seek to undercut everything that seems worthy or serious, he scorns the cheap scoring-off of the wisecracker. He stands, so to speak, somewhat at one side, observes and speaks with a moderation which is occasionally embellished with a flash of controlled exaggeration. He speaks from a certain depth, and thus he is not of the same nature as the wit, who so often speaks from the tongue and no deeper. The wit’s desire is to be funny; the ironist is only funny as a secondary achievement,” observed Davies.

Last Tuesday, October 6, 2015, there was a message from culture writer and art critic Sadanand Menon, >about a photo caption . His ironic missive: “Extraordinary caption to the photo on today’s op-ed; there was probably no need for a caption; but the caption explicitly and helpfully says: ‘Picture shows a vegetable seller on his phone’ (one is left wondering why it didn’t further elaborate it as ‘mobile phone’?); now the ‘picture’ shows no vegetables but only oranges; so what is one to infer? That my eyes have been deceived and that the op-ed desk has cleverly figured out that it’s actually mini-pumpkins and yellow tomatoes disguised as oranges? Or that this fruit seller is so distressed that he’s shouting on the phone that he’s immediately turning into a vegetable seller? Or that for the paper, using the word vegetables qua fruits is a mere semantic quibble? Sometimes leaving well alone is enough; it was Voltaire who said ‘They are fools who light a candle to see the sun’!”

Importance of proper captioning A photo caption is an important story-telling device. It requires the same amount of talent and expertise as writing an effective headline. The importance of proper captioning has been flagged-off very early in these columns. The first Readers’ Editor, K. Narayanan, way back in November 2006, pointed out that words too make or mar a picture. He wrote: “If the selection of photographs involves so much care and effort, the writing of the captions needs equal or even more attention. The visual effect can be improved upon or marred by the accompanying description.” The caption for the representational photograph that was used to illustrate the article, “ >The grand delusion of Digital India ”, not only marred the picture but also deflected attention from the impassioned arguments of the scholar.

Let’s look at some of the caption corrections we have carried so far. The caption of the standalone photograph, “ >Burst of colour ” (March 25, 2014, some editions), read: “A bird sits on a branch of a palash tree (also known as flame of the forest) in full bloom …” Actually, it is a Semal tree ( Bombax ceiba ) — also known as silk cotton tree. Another standalone photograph, “ >Right of way ” (September 17, 2015) had a caption: “Traffic comes to a standstill as a flock of ducks crosses a road in Guwahati on Wednesday.” However, they were geese and not ducks. Geese are much bigger than ducks, though both are water birds. The caption of “ >Remembering veterans ” (PTI photograph, Sept. 16, 2015, some editions) gave the name of the widow of Param Vir Chakra awardee Abdul Hameed as Rasoolan Devi. It should have been Rasoolan Bibi. The caption of the photograph that accompanied the International page report, “ >Charles, Diana contemplated calling off wedding ” (Feb. 4, 2015), wrongly gave the year of their wedding as 1989. It should have been 1981. The caption of the photograph that accompanied the story, “ >Help arrives in uniform ” (The Yin Thing page, Sept. 22, 2013), failed to establish that it was a representational image.

Photo captioning, unlike headline writing that is the sole prerogative of the desk, is a collaborative effort of the photojournalist and the desk. Columbia Visuals has a useful set of tips for better caption writing for photojournalists. It advises: “Make sure you get the details of the person, people you’re photographing. Being a photojournalist also requires you to report who, what, when, where and how and avoid stating the obvious and redundancies.” It is worth remembering that photo captions are often the first elements of a publication to be read. A well-crafted photo caption has the potential to elevate an image, provide the context, give colour and establish facts. It is the task of the photojournalists to provide the correct captions, and it is the task of the desk to make them appropriate without sounding trite.

readerseditor@thehindu.co.in

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